Folding post for landaus.



W. B. POND. FOLDING POST FOR LANDAUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1909.

943,705. Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

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Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

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FOLDING POST FOR LANDAUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 27, 1909.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

Serial No. 480,424.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM B. POND, citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Posts for Landaus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible vehicles, and has specially in view a body of the landau type in which novel types of front supporting posts are employed which may be readily set-up to their vehicle top supporting position, or folded onto themselves or the vehicle to open the body.

In carrying out the objects of the invention generally stated above, various changes in details and structural arrangements may be resorted to, a few practical embodiments of which have been shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing the post folded. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the folding portion of the vehicle top and a portion of one of the supporting posts, showing the spring-latch connection therebetween. Figs. 3 and 1 are detail perspective views showing the employment of a novel hinge connection between the supporting posts. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the hinge used in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the hinge-brackets for holding the supporting posts in their folded positions. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another form of hinge-bracket.

It is preferred to use the present invention in connection with motor vehicles, although it will be readily understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to such use, and in the accompanying drawings only so much of the motor vehicle has been shown as is necessary for a full understanding of the application of the invention thereto.

Referring to said drawings by numerals, 1 designates the usual foldable back of the body, the top thereof having a front hinged portion 2, all of which is of a type common to landaus. The front portion or dashboard 3 is held between two roof supporting posts at and 5, said posts being of the form shown having the upper sections 6 and 7 which have a hinge connection 8 with the lower sections, said hinge connection preferably at, or in the same plane as the top edge of the dash-board 3. The hinge connection 8 may be at the front edge of the posts as is shown in Fig. 1, or at the rear as is shown in Fig. 1, so that when the upper section is folded down onto the lower section the said upper section will be held in a pendent position on the front.

A bracket 9 is carried by the dashboard adjacent to each post, said bracket having an angular arm 10 terminating in an illturned end which engages over the folded section of the post to retain the same in position and prevent the same swinging or swaying when the vehicle is in motion. The arm 9 is provided with a hinge 11 at its junction with the bracket, to permit the same being readily manipulated to engage with or release the folded section of the post.

The form of the invention described above is the preferred one, and the hinge connection employed between the two sections of the post may be of the usual two-leaf type, one leaf being secured to one post and the other to the other post.

In Figs. 3 and 1 the same type of sec tional posts may be employed, but the hinge connection between the sections thereof is such that the sections may be folded transversely of the dash-board. The folding of the upper section may be such that it rests either on the front or rear of the dash-board, this being had by either locating the hinge connection 011 the front or rear edges of the two sections of the post. The hinge em ployed for this purpose is a double leaf hinge, one leaf 12 being fastened to the upper section of the post, and the free leaf thereof having its transverse edge hinged to a free leaf 13, the other leaf thereof being fastened to the other section of the post. By this novel type of hinge the upper sect-ion of the post is first swung away from its lower section, then swung transversely thereof, and finally swung outwardly so as to lie transversely below the plane of the top edge of the dashboard. The dashboard is provided with supporting brackets 14 provided with upper and lower arms 15 and 16, the arm 16 being rigid and projecting at right angles thereto. The arm 15 is hinged to the bracket and is provided with a shouldered portion 1? which engages over a projecting portion of the post-section to hold the said section upon the rigid rest arm 16.

The front corners of the foldable portion 2 of the top or roof are provided with latches 18 and guiding dowels 19 which engage with a slidable catch 20 carried by the upper end of each of the upper sections of the supporting posts, said post-sections being provided with a handle 21 for manipulating the catch to release said post-sections from the roof when it is desired to open the body.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides a quick, easily operated, and simple means for converting a vehicle to an open or closed one, the arrangement being such that the change may be readily made by the occupant of the vehicle without leaving the same. And through the described hinge connection of the sectional supporting posts and the brackets therefor, the same are efliciently disposed of when not in their supporting position and in such a manner as not to offer any obstruction to the vision of the chauffeur.

Claims 1. A convertible vehicle provided with a front dashboard and a top, a foldable portion hinged to said top, supporting posts at each end of the dashboard and composed of two sections having abutting edges and having a hinge connection, means having an angular arm to enga 'e the folded section of the post a detachable connection between one of said sections of each post and the foldable top portion, and supporting brackets carried by the dashboard and forming a seat for the sections when the same are folded.

2. A convertible vehicle comprising a body having a dashboard and a folding top or roof, said top or roof having a supplemental front foldable portion, posts carried by the body at each end of the dashboard, said posts being formed of an upper and a lower sec tion having abutting edges and having a hinge connection adjacent to the top edge of the dashboard whereby said sections may be folded relatively to one another, and supporting brackets carried by the dashboard and having angular portions with inturned ends for holding the folded sections of the supporting posts.

3. A convertible vehicle comprising a body having a dashboard and a foldable top, said top being provided with an independently foldable front portion, supporting posts at each end of the dashboard, said posts being formed in sections having abutting edge and a hinge connection adjacent to the top edge of the dashboard, one of the sections of each post having a detachable latching engagement with the corner of the foldable portion of the top, and supporting brackets provided with angular arms with inturned ends forming rest arms for holding one section of the posts in a plane below the upper edge of the dashboard.

l. A convertible vehicle comprising a foldable top provided with a supplemental foldable front portion, a dashboard, a sectional post at each end of the dashboard, said sections having a hinge connection whereby they may be folded relatively to each other, one of the sections of each post having a de tachable engagement with the supplemental foldable portion of the roof, and supporting brackets carried by the dashboard and hav ing angular arms having inturned ends for receiving and holding the folded sections of the posts.

5. A convertible vehicle comprising a top provided with a foldable portion, a dashboard, a two-part post at each end of the dashboard, one part being movable, a hinge connection between the parts of the post, the movable part of the post having a detachable engagement with the foldable portion of the vehicle top, and supporting brackets carried by the dashboard and provided with a stationary rest arm for receiving the movable part of the posts and a movable arm for holding the same on the rest arm.

6. A convertible vehicle comprising a top provided with a foldable portion, a dashboard, a sectional post at each end of the dashboard with -the ends abutting, one of said sections being movable and having a detachable engagement with the foldable por tion of the top, a three-way hinge connection between the sections of the post whereby one section thereof may be folded transversely of the dashboard, and supporting brackets carried by the dashboard for holding the folded sections of the post.

7. A supporting post for convertible vehicles composed of a stationary section and a movable section with their adjacent ends abutting, and a hinge connection between said sections comprising a double hinge having one leaf fastened. to the movable section, a second leaf hinged thereto, a third leaf hinged to one transverse edge of the second leaf, and a fourth leaf hinged to the third leaf and having a rigid connection with the stationary section of the post, whereby the movable section may be swung at right angles to the stationary leaf.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

lVILLIAM B. POND.

Vi tnesses S. E. Bassoon, E. H. LYNCH. 

